Gies
by Sphinxy8a
Summary: This is a story about a girl who is captured by an evil shadowy figure and while she tries to escape she meets Sesshomaru. A lot of sarcasm included.
1. Chapter 1

_

* * *

**Gies**_

_While wandering through the forest alone Sesshoumaru hears a scream that would make a cat's fur stand on end. (Good thing Sesshomaru is a dog demon or his beautiful silver hair would look a little ridiculous.) Now normally Sesshomaru would have ignored the scream, but it amazingly sounded like young Rin. On hearing this he sprints in the direction of the voice came, but no Rin, only a demon woman in apparent pain, she seemed no older than then his idiotic have brother. _

_Sesshoumaru was quite a distance away, and upon seeing that Rin didn't make the scream he lifts his right leg as if to take a step away, but lowers it, for the women was speaking. (It was more like shouting, but oh well.)_

" _I can't see you, but I know your there," she said as she gasped for breath. "Please help me. I'm desperate. I can't take this pain any more. Please just drag me about six yards south of here."_

_'She's no ordinary half-demon is she. If she could sense me from that far away, she must be better than my nitwit of a brother Inuyasha. Well perhaps not much better, since she is weak enough to ask for help from anyone who happened upon her. Stupid girl. _

" _If you help me I'll tell you were that girl with the orange checkered kimono and that fowl green demon who was with her are."_

_Suddenly Sesshoumaru was no longer standing beside a tree quite some distance away, but in front of the agony ridden girl, holding her throat as if to choke her._

"_You will tell me where the girl is and perhaps I won't kill you," said Sesshoumaru as he squeezed her throat to emphasize his authority._

"_Go ahead. (Gasp) It would be a most welcome guest, compared to this torture going on inside of me."_

"_So you would welcome death, just to be rid of your pain?" _

"_He would be a most welcome guest."_

"_Just as I suspected. You are a weakling. You don't even deserve to die by my hand," said Sesshoumaru as he let go of the girl in disgust, and turned to leave. _

"_Well, aren't you full of yourself," said the women more to herself than to Sesshoumaru._

"_What did you say," asked the silver haired demon turning once more to the girl with a purple kimono on, and a silver silk ribbon in her dark brown hair. _

"_I was just saying that you were full of yourself," said the women in-between gasps._

"_You really do want to die don't you," asked Sesshoumaru with a raised eyebrow._

"_I think we established that already."_

"_Tell me where they are you filthy half-demon and I shall make your death a swift and painless one." _

_Before answering the girl went through a spasm that made her weaker than before, but she didn't let Sesshoumaru see it. "Well, I see we've resorted to name calling."_

"_You would be wise to tell me where they are girl, before I lose my patience," said Sesshoumaru as he leaned down and grabbed the girl's throat once more and tightened his grip, then loosening it so that she could speak._

"_I'd say that you lost your patience long ago."_

_Tightening his grip once more Sesshoumaru replied, "I shall count to three and you will tell me where the girl is and I will leave you here."_

"_What a gracious offer," said the girl, then added, "but you shall never find her."_

_Sesshoumaru then proceeded to strangle her once again. Other than gritting her teeth against the pain the girl, showed no otherwise emotion. After the girl started to turn purple Sesshoumaru loosened his grip once again on the girl, so that she could both breath and talk._

_When the girl regained her train of thoughts she then said, "This wood is very thick, and filled with dangerous and powerful demons. I don't think that even you with all your swiftness can comb through it fast enough to save in time."_

_By this time a smirk had appeared upon her face, revealing her teeth, which consisted of all white teeth, except for two fangs on either side of her jaw that were purple. While still holding her neck, Sesshoumaru pulled the girl up to his height, to study her further. When this occurred the girl's smirk quickly vanished and a grimace soon replaced it. Though he could clearly tell she was a demon, he could not distinguish the type of demon she was._

_A flicker of interest and confusion blew across Sesshoumaru's cold ember eyes for a brief moment, then returned to their former state of frigidness and he threw to the ground once more._

_In that short time the girl managed to see the look and distinguish the emotions that were caught behind those glassy barriers, thus making her reply, " Oh, so the big bad demon doesn't know what I am either? Well, in any case, it's nice to see that you have more than one emotion in your repertoire. So I suppose," she said as she sighed "that I should tell you were the girl is. The girl with the orange checkered kimono is," and that's as far as she got, for without warning, her hand shot up, and caught a hold of Sesshoumaru's wrist under his shockingly white refinery, and dug her nails in to his skin. You see, while they had been talking, the pain that had resided in her body gradually grew worse._

_Not knowing this, the surprised Sesshoumaru grabbed the girl's wrist and dug his extremely long fingernails into it. A pool of their combined blood soon started to congeal on the forest floor next to the girl's body, whose purple kimono started to soak some of it up. When her pain had subsided, the girl let go of Sesshoumaru's wrist and looked at her blood soaked self._

_It was then that Sesshoumaru realized that the girl was actually dying from pain, and let go of her wrist, for the she was one of a hand full of people that ever made his blood flow freely._

"_Er, sorry 'bout that," said the girl sheepishly. "The girl your looking for is heading North-East toward the lake," and with that said, she went into a terrible seizure, that caused her to passout as soon as it was over._

_Sesshoumaru watched the girl struggle against the pain that threatened to kill her, until she lost consciousness, and then made his way into the wood to look for Rin at the lake._


	2. Chapter 2

"Lord Sesshoumaru! Lord Sesshoumaru! Look what I found," exclaimed Rin as she splashed her way to shore, out of the murky lake water.

"Come along, Rin. Dry yourself off and put your kimono on," said Sesshoumaru not paying attention to what treasure young Rin was holding up for him to inspect.

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru."

"Here girl, put your clothes back on," said Jaken with apparent disgust.

After Rin had dried off and had done what she was told, she climbed onto her two-headed dragon and followedSesshoumaru out of the wood, leaving Jaken running behind them shouting after them to stop.


	3. Chapter 3

xXx

After being stranded by Sesshoumaru, the girl regained consciousness, to find that the guards still had not made their way near the area on their rounds. Finally, a half-hour later, when the pain was beginning to become unbearable and just as the girl was about to start wishing for that dog demon to have slit her throat, they arrived.

"Oh hey guys," exclaimed the girl sarcastically to the approaching guards. "Just take your sweet time, I'm in no real hurry to be rid of this excruciating pain."

"Hey don't be so touchy. You should feel lucky we even scanned this area for you," said the first guard.

"Oh, but I do. I feel extremely lucky to be in so much pain and have to really on a couple of guards to look for me."

"Well, if you didn't try to escape every chance you got, you wouldn't be in so much pain, and we wouldn't have to come looking for you," said the second guard, as he nodded to the first, signaling him that he was ready to lift the girl.

"Hey guys," said the girl as she was being carried, feeling immediately better since being carried in the direction of the mansion. "Do you like working for a scuzz-ball of a master, even though you've never laid eyes on him?"

"Of course we like working for the scu- I mean the master. And stop calling him a scuzz-ball," said the second guard reproachfully.

"Maybe tomorrow," said the girl dissmisively. "But really, why do you like working for him, assuming it is a him."

"Because of the pay, what else? And of course the master is a him, I mean a man," said the second guard.

"How much does he pay?"

"That's none of your bussiness," exclaimed the first guard.

"I take it you don't get paid as much as much as he does," said the girl, gesturing to the second guard.

"Of course I do," exclaimed the first guard, becoming slightly red in the face.

"Sure you do," said the girl as she patted his arm, while the second guard laughed.

Getting frustrated the first guard threatened, "If you don't behave, I'll take right back to were we found you."

"Is that a promise?"

"It's a guarantee."

After pretending to think it over, the girl finally said, "Alright. Since you asked so politely. But what took you guys so long, this time? You two usually come running, when you here me scream."

"The master said we were to let you suffer awhile before we help you, since you insist upon trying to escape every week."

"You know, I really thought I had outsmarted him this time," said the girl reflectively.

"Guess all that training you did with those samurai warriors, didn't help you much," said the first guard mockingly.

"Of course it helps. I mean because of some of the things they taught me, I could move about the mansion without anyone knowing. It also helps me learn useful information, like how one of you likes to sleep with a light on, because you're afraid of the dark," said the girl with a smirk.

"How did you know," asked the first guard angrily.

As the second guard laughed hysterically, the girl answered, "I told you, because of my training."

"You're lucky the master said we're not to harm you in any way, or I'd----."

"Or you'd what," asked the girl with an amused smile upon her face.

"I'd---."

"Oh look," said the second guard, suddenly becoming sober, feeling the tension rising between the two."

The girl and the first guard both looked up in time to see the magnificent structure of the mansion, rising across the horizon, as they neared it. The architecture of it was from the mid-fourteenth century and the grounds were elaborately furnished. The flowers were in full bloom in the early morning heat of the sun, and the tree branches, with their cherry blossoms, swayed in the summer wind.

The girl sighed at the sight of it. Even though she was being held captive in it, she couldn't help but be impressed with it each time she gazed upon it. Then as she blinked, she came out of her revere and realized that she had some place to be.

"Hey guys," said the girl interrupting the moment of peace. "You can just drop me off near the lake. I have score to settle with a rather large fish."

The second guard now coming out of his dream-like trance with a shake of his head replied, "No can do. The master said we are to take you immediately to your rooms and nowhere else. You are to stay there for the remainder of the day."

"Damn. Now I'll never find that demo-, I mean fish again," said the girl hastily.

"Oh, and," said the first guard not noticing the slight slipup in her sentence. "The master also wished us to tell you, that he will be hosting a large gathering and you are to attend."

"Great," said the girl sarcastically, as she crossed her arms against her chest in the now dried up blood of the kimono. "When is it?"

The second guard carefully not noticing the blood soaked clothes replied, "Tomorrow night."

"And what exactly pray tell, am I supposed to do?"

"No idea, but I'm sure you'll figure it out," said the first guard with a smirk.

Sighing, the girl replied sarcastically, "Wonderfulness."

And with that being said, they came onto the residential grounds of the mansion, that held the girl captive, but at the same time almost seemed like paradise.


	4. Chapter 4

xXx

After nearly an hour of soaking in the bath, the girl finally got out and dressed herself in a sky-blue kimono with silver threaded embroidery on the edges. While pacing through out her room, the girl thought about what she was to do the next night at the party. 'Great. What am I supposed to do? Say: Hello, my name is Ayumi Shirakawa and I'm the prisoner of what's his face. Can I get you a drink?'

Just as she thought this, a knock came from the door, outside in the hall, which startled her. Quickly composing herself, she allowed the person in the hall, entrance.

Stepping into the room, a maid who had so often served Ayumi her meals during her captivity said, "The master wishes me to fit you for your party outfit."

Ayumi sighed and said, "How 'bout you don't, and say you did."

The maid looked at her skeptically, and girl replied disheartedly, "Didn't think so, but don't poke me with the pins again."

"I never poke you," exclaimed the maid as she looked at the girl with contempt, then upon seeing the Ayumi's smirk, a grin slowly started to form upon her face. "Oh, you silly girl, stop teasing me!"

"I'm afraid I can't. It's just too easy," said Ayumi as she gurgled a giggle.

The motherly maid then proceeded to poke Ayumi in her tickle spot, with her index finger, making the girl squeal with laughter.

"You won't get away with that," said Ayumi jokingly.

"Only if you can catch me," said the maid.

Just then a knock came from the door, and the two ladies sobered up a little before letting the person in. A timid servant stepped inside and announced that lunch was being served in the dinning room down stairs.

"Thank you, Jiro," said Ayumi.

As she passed by, she laid her hand on his arm making him immediately turn red. Turning so that Jiro wouldn't see, Ayumi winked at the maid playfully then started down the hall, to the staircase that descending to the ground floor. As came down, Ayumi saw many servants to which she knew not the names of, scurrying about with an assortment of things in their arms. She presumed that it was all for the coming party and thus inquired to herself, "Who would possibly want to come here? As far as I know no one has seen his true identity."

"It is not right to say such things about the master," whispered a passing maid, startling Ayumi.

"Of course it is," called Ayumi to the receding maid.

The maid paused for a moment, then turned and smiled briefly at Ayumi, before turning and scurrying once more to prepare everything.

As Ayumi reached the ground floor and headed for the dinning room, she noticed someone was sitting at the table, with their back toward her. When she reached the far side of the room and had turned to face this person she realized she could not see all of his face, for he was shrouded in shadow. Just as Ayumi was wondering who this mysterious figure was, they spoke in a voice the girl assumed to be a man's.

"Come now. Don't be so timid, you never were before. Now come and join me," said the man while gesturing to the chair in front of her.

As Ayumi walked to the only available chair in the room, she thought about what the man had said. 'Ok. What a complete weirdo. Who does this guy think he is? What's with that cliched creepy shadow slash across his face? And how does he know that I'm not timid? Just because he's the lord of this manor doesn't mean he can spy on people. And finally, why is he suddenly deciding to dine with me now after six months of not doing so before?'

"All your questions will be answered in due course," said the man, with the creepy half-lit face.

"I hope so," said the girl without thinking. Then she remembered that she had not said anything aloud, to make him possibly know what she was thinking.

"What the…"

"Pleased be seated."

Confused for a moment Ayumi stood in place not doing anything, then blinked twice, and moved to sit in the chair positioned opposite, the half shrouded figure of a man. By the time she had regained her composure, lunch was already being served on the mahogany table.

Ten minutes through lunch, Ayumi couldn't take the silence anymore. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her.

"Hey, uh… Lord Shrouded Guy. Who exactly are you and what pray tell do you want?"

Out of the semi-darkness, came a voice that was so deep and resonant that it was hard to believe that this was the same man from ten minutes ago. Paying no attention to the insult that was thrown at him, the man replied, "I am Lord Kagrin, and as for what I want, that is none of your concern for the time being."

"You know," said Ayumi as she swished her wine around in the crystal glass, she had been holding sense Lord Kagrin had began speaking. "I really think it is my concern seeing as how I'm being held captive against my will and all. Just a thought."

When Lord Kagrin spoke again, Ayumi realized that his voice had changed once more; it was no longer sumptuous and deep, but worn and filled with lustfulness. "Well if you really want to know…"

Feeling Lord Kagrin's gaze shift; Ayumi did not let him finish his sentence.

"Wow there! That's just sick! Sick and wrong! You're supposed to be me captor, not my molester! I always knew you were sick, but I didn't think that you were this sick. Don't you have a mistress or something?! It's disgusting, I can feel your eyes roaming all over my body."

As Ayumi pronounced this she could feel the bile rising in her throat, making her cut off what other things she might have said to her captor, so she could swallow it back down. Lord Kagrin took this opportunity to interject at this time and say, " Maybe you were only imagining that my eyes were, as you say, roaming."

" Listen, don't you go pulling that psycho-babble shit on me, because I won't tolerate it!"

"And I," said Lord Kagrin, his voice changing once again, sounding harsh and cold. "Won't tolerate your speaking to me with disrespect."

An intense silence followed and for the first time during her stay at the mansion, Ayumi actually felt frightened as though she were a little girl again. Then as Ayumi's eyes began to glaze over from a memory that had been long forgotten, suddenly the tension was gone, as though it was never there. Finally breaking the silence, Lord Kagrin spoke.

"Well, the reason I called you here was to tell you that, tomorrow night when the guest arrive you will be there to usher them into the house and sure that they are seen to."

"So basically what you're saying is that I'm to be the hostess."

"Exactly."

" And why exactly do you need me to do this? Aren't you going to be here?"

" In response to your first question, because I think your quite capable. And to answer your second question, yes and no."

" What do you mean, yes and no?! Either you're here or you're not, plan and simple."

" Enough. I do not have to explain myself to you. All you need know is that you will be the hostess and no more. Is that clear?"

At hearing the forcefulness in his voice, Ayumi was compelled to remain silent and instead of answering she curtly nodded to the shadowed figure sitting at the other end of the table.

Seeing Ayumi's expression harden, made Lord Kagrin soften his tone of voice, making him sound like a gruff old man with a soft spot for that kind of thing. "Now go. I will have a maid send the rest of your supper to your rooms." With a flourish of his hand, Lord Kagrin dismissed Ayumi.

As Ayumi left the dinning room, she once again tried to catch a glimpse of the mysterious figure, which was half bathed in darkness. Unfortunately it was to no avail, he was too withdrawn into the abyss of blackness. While stomping up the stairs Ayumi chastised herself for not asking any questions about why she was being held imprisoned. "If only I had asked him why I was here, instead of party questions."


	5. Chapter 5

xXx

"Oh miss Ayumi, you look so beautiful!"

"So what are you trying to say? That I look repulsive the rest of the time," asked Ayumi teasingly.

"That's not what I…" The maid then looked up from her stammering and saw that Ayumi was having a hard time keeping a smile from spreading across her face. When the maid saw this, her face then turned cherry red.

" Oh you silly girl! Will you ever cease harassing me?"

Ayumi tilted her head in mock thought, but after a bit she answered, " I wouldn't count on it, but I do know what you meant by the comment and I thank you."

The maid's scornful look faded away into a smile as Ayumi finished her sentence and said " May I say something without you taking the remark as an insult?"

Sighing Ayumi gave her consent and sat down on a tan ottoman nearby.

" White really does look ravishing on you dear, with your face and those two fanged teeth I'm surprised a young man hadn't picked you up before the master did."

Trying to stay true to her word, Ayumi didn't make a sarcastic remark but nodded her head politely and said, "Well thank you for the compliment."

" By the way dear, why exactly are only two of your lovely teeth purple?"

" I thought I already told you about that. Oh well I guess not. Any ways it's because they are laced with venom."

" But I thought your nails were laced with venom?"

" They are, but the venom in my nails can kill instantly whereas my venomous bite can take a few minutes for it to take full affect."

"Oh," said Kara suddenly aware of the girl's deadly nature.

Seeing the maid's discomfort Ayumi said, " Don't worry though, I would never use any of these things on you. By the way, why are you interested in my venomous attributes?"

" Well it was just because your wearing white brings out the unusual color of your fanged teeth and glassy nails."

" You know, since I have been here, I have found you to be an extremely bad liar, Kara. So would you like to tell me what's going on or do I have to drag it out of you," said Ayumi suddenly losing all her friendly warmth.

Sighing, Kara shrugged her shoulders and transformed into the demon she always was, right before Ayumi's eyes. She was dressed in a traditional green kimono that suggested that she was older than she looked, but some how she seemed to pull it off rather well.

"Why did it take so long for you to figure it out? I thought you were smarter than this," said Kara screechingly.

Ayumi rolled her eyes and said, " You give yourself too much credit. I knew from almost the very beginning, you were gathering information about me."

" If that was the case, then why didn't you call me on it?"

"Because I wanted to feed you wrong information, and when I came here I wasn't exactly capable of fighting."

" Oh yes, I had forgotten that when you came to us, you were just a beat up wretch of a half-demon."

"Well you're just throwing compliments out left and right. Be careful you won't have any left for your friends."

"Shut up! I can't take any more of those stupid sarcastic remarks!"

"Awww, the poor wittle demon can't stwand fwunny wittle wamarks," said Ayumi in a very convincing child's voice, then switching back to her normal speech she said, "Well that's just too bad, because those kind of remarks will be the last thing you will ever hear in this world."

"And how exactly are you going to manage to kill me, little miss sarcastic, when you don't have any of your weapons? Damn! Now you have me saying sarcastic things!"

"Well I do have that effect on people, and I wouldn't be so sure that I don't have my weapons," said Ayumi grinning slightly.

"You're bluffing."

"Am I?"

The demon formerly known as the motherly maid, eyed Ayumi suspiciously, then deciding that she was indeed bluffing she rushed the girl. Upon arriving at her destination the demon found that the Ayumi she had seen standing there only moments ago was in fact an after-image of the girl, which was quickly fading.

"Weren't expecting that now were we," asked Ayumi from behind Kara.

Spinning in place before Ayumi, the demon replied, "No I wasn't, but I bet you weren't expecting this," and with that she tried to trip the girl, but she had been wrong. Ayumi had seen it coming and jumped over the demon's leg and landed nimbly on the edge of a nearby desk.

"Actually I did."

Kara angrily rose and faced her opponent after failed attempt and spat, "I can tell."

"I'm glad. But unfortunately, for you that is, my patience is wearing thin. So if you don't mind, can we please get on with this?"

"Why? Are you in some sort of hurry to get somewhere? It's not as though you can leave the premises," said Kara with wicked smile on her face.

"Really," asked Ayumi as she stepped down lightly from the desk she had been perched on. "Because as I see it, you don't know me very well at all. I'm so disappointed on you. I really thought you would have figured by now that I would have been determined to find a way to leave this place. Well I guess I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up, especially considering you're a demon."

"I wouldn't be talking, you're a half-demon," said Kara.

"Only by half," said Ayumi cheerfully. "So how shall I do this? Rip you limb from limb? No I think that would be too strenuous and besides as you have learned I am way to lazy to actually try to carry you into the woods. But I wonder are you one of those demons who clean up after themselves?"

"What are you babbling about?"

"You know, those demons who right after they die kinda turn into dust and disappear as soon as a gust of wind comes blowing through. I guess we'll just have to see."

"Why do you ask such stupid questions?"

"Well I learned from the master," said Ayumi as she sketched a quick bow to the now growling demon, Kara.

"Can we get on with this?"

"Fine it's your funeral. What do I care, I was just trying to give more time to smell the roses which are quite nice this time of year," said Ayumi.

"For once can you stop with the sarcasm!?"

"I was not being sarcastic, but if you would like that to be your last request than I guess I shall oblige it. Oh I just thought I'd let you know that I always give those who are about to die a last request."

"So you won't feel so bad about killing? I always knew you were a weakling."

"I just thought it was a nice thing to do but if you don't want it then that's fine. It's funny cause every opponent I have come up against has always asked me to quit my sarcasm. I always get a kick out of that," said Ayumi smilingly.

"Cut the crap. Lets get on with this I'm getting impatient with you."

"What got somewhere to go?"

"As a matter of fact I do. Not that that's any of your business."

"Fine you don't have to tell me."

"Are you ready?"

"As a matter of fact I am."

While this exchange of words was happening the two ladies were circling each other, looking for the perfect angle to attack the other from and by the time the exchange stop they had both found a suitable place. Kara was on the side of the room where the door was. Ayumi had positioned herself next to the window that now reflected that it was getting later in the day and she then realized that if she was going to catch the demon she met earlier, she was going to have to cut this short, though, she would rather draw this out and make the pretender suffer.

"I bet you think you are going to win, don't you?"

"Now that you mention it, I do, Kara."

"Well I'm sorry to burst your bubble child, but you have no chan…what the…"said Kara as she saw a flash of a silver and blue kimono blur her vision, then reposition itself on the other side of the room. When she looked down she saw a spot on her battle garment that quickly became larger every second.

"You really do talk to much. I told you that I was ready and when I said that I meant it. You didn't feel a thing did you? Good. I thought that since you were so helpful to my recovery you at least deserved that much. Hmm? What was that? You know dear you really shouldn't try to talk in your condition. I suppose that right about now you are having difficulty breathing and are about ready to pass out or on,whichever one. But do try to stay with me a little longer. You know I thought that I'd use one of my poisonous talents on you, but I'm in a bit of a hurry and that would take entirely to long to go through the process of you screaming your damnations and agony out. You're lucky. Well, from the looks of you, I'd say that you've another twenty to thirty second of life in you. I do hope you are the kind of demon who cleans up after yourself. Well goodbye."

By then Ayumi was sitting in her favorite chair and watched quietly as the demon fell to the floor staining the hardwood and rug a dark sanguine color with her blood. When she saw that the demon was trying to say something to her, Ayumi seeing no harm, bent over in her chair to hear the last words of her most recently defeated enemy.

"Go to hell." And with that said, she died.

For a long time Ayumi looked at her with a grim expression on her face and finally she got up and walked over to the dead demon and leaned down beside her and said,"maybe tomorrow. Looks like I win. Damn you aren't one of those demons who clean up after themselves. Too bad. And you got your blood all over my rug. Looks like I'll have to clean this up now if I want the stain to come out. I hope you're happy you did succeed at making me late for my unofficial appointment with Silver Hair. "

Sighing, Ayumi straightened up and set about cleaning up the mess that the demon had left her. Deciding that she didn't feel like disposing of the body at that particular moment, Ayumi bent down and rolled the corpse off the rug she had died on, and gathered it up into her arms, crossed the room to the window and threw it out the open window into the bushes below. She then climbed onto the window seal and checked if the cost was clear and when she found that it was pushed herself off it and landed it lightly on the ground next to the rug.


	6. Chapter 6

xXx

After finally reaching the river on the far side of the grounds, Ayumi set the rug down and rested a while. It was a couple of minutes before she got up and rolled her kimono up around her thighs and reached for the rug to rinse it of the foul blood that now had begun to dry on the rug. After several scrubs and rinses, Ayumi finally managed to get the sanguine fluid out of the apolstry of the rug. Just as she was about to start gathering small boulders to divert the rush of the river a bit she heard a sound and turned in time to see a small figure scurry behind a tree and peek out from behind it.

"It's alright you can come out from behind the tree little one. I don't bite, hard, that is."

This earned a small giggle from the girl and she tentatively came out from behind the tree and Ayumi saw that it was the girl she had seen earlier in the day.

" Will you do me a favor little one? Will you gather those blossoms over there beside that tree for me while I create a little pool in the river?"

The little girl nodded and went to gather the falling cherry blossoms. As she did this she said, "My name is Rin, what's yours?"

" Well, I'm glad to see that you have a voice. And it is nice to meet you Rin, my name is Ayumi."

"Hi. I like your rug. Why are you washing it?"

"Well, you see I kinda got something on it and I have to wash it to get the stain out before it sets in."

"Oh. Well here you go, what are these petals for?"

"My you certainly do ask a lot of questions don't you?"

"Sorry. Jaken, the demon who takes care of me says that to me a lot except he's not as nice as you are."

"Is he that little green fellow I saw you with earlier?"

"Yes. But I like it better when Lord Sesshoumaru takes care of me."

"I'm sure you do. But to answer your question, the petals are so the rug will smell nice and they look really pretty in the water. Will you throw them in now, but don't put them all in save a hand full and put them in that pouch just over there by that tree. Thanks."

"Wow! That looks beautiful!"

"That's nothing watch this."

When the blossoms had settled Ayumi brought the rug into the water and submerged it making the blossoms scatter. She then brought the rug up just below the surface and moved it gently beneath the water creating pinkish- purple waves.

Just as Rin was about to ask if she could come in the water, Ayumi cocked her head to the side as if listening carefully, so Rin closed her mouth before any sounds escaped. When Ayumi faced Rin again she was smiling sadly and she said, "I think someone is looking for you Rin. You better go before you won't be able to find your way back. If you can, come back tomorrow and I'll show you what I will do with the rest of the blossoms."

"Alright! Do you promise?"

"Yes. Wait! Oh no I can't come back tomorrow. I have to go to a party tomorrow and I have no one to help me to get dressed tomorrow. I'm sorry!"

(In the background there can be heard a distant voice that is getting gradually louder as it gets closer calling Rin's name.)

Saddened Rin nodded her head and turned to leave but she was stopped by Ayumi asking her to hand her an empty vile beside a tree near the river. When she had done so, Ayumi duncked the vile into the water. Once it was filled she replaced the cork and gave it to Rin saying: "Something to remember me by."

Rin's face lit up instantly and thanked Ayumi for the Wonderful gift. Walking backwards toward the campsite, Rin held the vile carefully and inspected it. She noticed that a pink/purple blossom had gotten trapped within.

As Ayumi watched Rin go back to where shes had come from, she thought to herself, 'Qute kid. Very friendly. I hope she stays that way.' After Rin was well away and the distant voice had seaced to call her name out Ayumi got out of the improm-to pool and brought the already sweet smelling rug out as well.


End file.
